Production & Technology: Kyler Potter on Exceeding Expectations
Kyler Potter is the post-production supervisor at Humanaut, a small creative agency/production company focused on solving the world’s hardest marketing problems. They create breakthrough advertising campaigns and content for better-for-you brands that need to disrupt or grow a category.
As the head of the post-production department, Kyler is responsible for making all the big dreams of the creative team come to life by leading their team of editors to tackle 100% of Humanaut’s post-production in-house. It’s a small agile team working on national brand campaigns, often with lofty VFX ambitions. Kyler has led the team in introducing new technologies, including emerging generative AI tools, and incorporating them into the post-production workflow.
LBB> Can you talk us through one or two of the most exciting recent productions that you’ve been involved in that you think had a really interesting innovation or technological aspect to them?
Kyler> Two recent projects that stand out are the “Airlab” campaign we did for Blueair, and the “Anything Can Happen After Nuun” campaign we did for Nuun Hydration. Both of these had unique post-challenges that we were able to find creative solutions for, and they showcase how a small team can deliver results that far exceed expectations.
For Blueair, we faced the challenge of using post to expand the scope of our production in several different ways. There were numerous set extensions, product composites, CGI particles, and airflow animations, which would not have been possible for us to accomplish using only traditional techniques considering our timeline and budget.
We were able to leverage generative AI tools to create both photo and video assets that, when combined with traditional compositing, greatly increased the scope of what we could accomplish, and the speed at which we could do it with our small team.
In the Nuun campaign, we needed to create dynamic product visuals without the budget for full CGI or high-speed camera systems. We approached this by filming the products and assets in isolation, allowing us to manipulate the footage in post almost as if it were CGI. The technique we developed is somewhere between traditional plate compositing and photogrammetry, which minimised onset work and budget while maximising our flexibility to adjust the composites during post-production.
Both of these showcase how integrating new technology into your workflow, even in small ways, can have an outsized impact on your projects, and can open up new avenues for creativity that were not possible before.
LBB> Quite often production involves trying to solve a problem that’s never been attempted before - and that can mean hacking existing technology or trying to find new technologies. When you get a project that has such technological challenges, how do you and your team like to approach them?
Kyler> When we face a project with technological challenges, our approach is all about finding the right balance between leveraging new and existing technologies. Not every new piece of tech will automatically solve the problem at hand, so it’s crucial to assess how it fits within the overall process. We evaluate the best ways to use emerging technology to enhance the project alongside more established methods.
Ultimately, our goal is to be flexible and adaptable. We’re always exploring the latest innovations, but we also know when to stick with what’s tried and true. By striking that balance, we ensure that we are able to get the most out of our footage, and enable the creative to be pushed further than it would otherwise be able to.
LBB> What are the technologies that you have your eye on that either are having a big impact on how production is done - or have the potential to change things in a big way?
Kyler> One of the most exciting areas we’re closely watching is the development of generative AI tools, particularly generative video. While still in early stages, generative video technology will undoubtedly be a game changer once it is more fully developed. We’re also keeping an eye on novel image-processing techniques such as neural radiance fields (NeRFs) and gaussian splatting, which are beginning to gain traction as revolutionary methods for capturing and reconstructing scenes.
These technologies are still evolving, but the possibilities they open up—especially when applied to video—are immense.
AI production, in general, is something I believe will have a huge impact on our industry. While virtual production is currently beginning to shape the way we make things, I believe AI production is going to be the next big leap. We’re already seeing the early stages of this, where AI tools bring more control and efficiency to post-production. For small teams like ours, these tools can vastly expand our capabilities, allowing us to achieve results that would have been impossible or too resource-intensive with traditional methods.
As these technologies continue to develop, they will likely redefine how we approach production, offering new ways to enhance creativity, streamline workflows, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. That’s why it’s important to follow the tech and be aware of what it’s capable of.
Much of the AI hype from last year has faded, which is actually a sign that the industry is beginning to mature. Even when it’s not making as many headlines, the technology is still developing rapidly. It’s crucial to be discerning—not to over-index on every new piece of tech that comes along—but also not to dismiss it entirely as a passing trend.
The key is understanding when and how to leverage these tools effectively, so they become an asset rather than a distraction.
